crater bowl™ : the story

I’m standing at the center of the couch. I have a step down to the fireplace hearth on my right, a large leap to the armchair on my left, and a giant volcanic crater straight ahead of me surrounded by lava…

This was a common situation that I was in as a child. My brother and I would play ‘the floor is lava’ in our living room (as I’m sure a lot of you have similar memories of); the goal being to move around a room without touching the floor, using only lava-proof furniture and pillows as stepping stones. Simple concept but full of creativity, strategy, and fun.

The living room was a prime location for my brother and I to play the game. The placement of the furniture and fireplace hearth allowed us to circle the room with only one pillow needed as a protective stepping stone. The rest was left to our imagination. We would challenge ourselves to circumvent the volcanic crater in the center of the room and find the tallest peak to seek safety (aka stack all the pillows on top of the recliner and sit on it).

Thinking of this memory always brings a smile to my face. It is a reminder to me that creativity can build a safe haven even if it’s simply a stack of pillows. It is because of the strength of this memory and its connection to positivity that it becomes the inspiration for the crater bowl™. Let it be a reminder to you of the power of simplicity.